Childhood friends Ritzy Bryan and bassist Rhydian Dafydd ori
ginally played together as part of Manchester band Tricky Nixon\, which la
ter reformed into Sidecar Kisses. After Sidecar Kisses split up in 2007 th
ey regrouped\, returning to their Welsh home town of Mold\, and formed The
Joy Formidable with Justin Stahley on drums. In July 2008 they released t
heir first official single\, “Austere”\, followed by a Christmas single\,
“My Beerdrunk Soul Is Sadder than a Hundred Dead Christmas Trees”\, as a 2
008 digital download\, and the “Cradle” double 7″ in 2009. In January 2009
their self-released debut EP\, A Balloon Called Moaning\, was issued in t
he UK.